on this saturday night, states of emergency. 60 million americans brace for impact. tonight, the latest hurricane track and dire warnings as a monster storm takes aim. october surprise. the super storm sends both campaigns scrambling. how it's already impacting the final ten days in the raceor president. what did they know? explosive new allegations swarm the pharmacy at the center of the deadly meningitis outbreak. and, crowning achievement. before the big re-opening, tonight, a look at the $30 million makeover for one of the most recognizable faces in the world.

good evening. tonight much of the east coast is on high alert and sitting on a slow motion collision course with what forecasters are calling a storm of historic dimensions. at its heart hurricane sandy, a sprawling system more than 800 miles wide. capturing these amazing images from space. after killing more than 50 people and causing heavy flooding in the caribbean sandy tonight is tracking parallel along the u.s. coast toward a rare and fateful rendezvous monday with two other potent weather systems. call it a hybrid storm. it is expected to send sandy inland with damaging winds and torrential rain. the storm will impact some 64 million people. tonight, eight states and the district of columbia are under states of emergency as officials brace for flooding and power outages. some mandatory evacuations are

already under way. forecasters warning just how dangerous the storm is. we've got our team in place to cover it all. let's start in new york with weather channel meteorologist jim cantore. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. more preparations under way. by the time tomorrow night rolls around we'll feel the impacts across much of the northeast. let's talk about this and lay out the impacts of the storm. the satellite shows a hybrid transition. you have a cloud canopy that stretches over the entire eastern seaboard with the storm's center 730 miles to the south of new york city. here's the track. this wild s-shape that has all of us as meteorologists shaking our heads. we have never seen this left hook. it will bring it 150 miles to the south of new york city early tuesday morning. then there is the impact. let's lay them out. we start with the storm surge. in irene at battery park which is where i am tonight, we had

three to six feet. we expect four to eight here and down the jersey shore. that will be higher than what they dealt with during irene. plan on similar scenarios there. look at the rainfall. huge areas of two inches plus, four inches plus. locally ten inches in spots in parts of new jersey and the chesapeake bay. if you remember the state of new jersey was one of those heavily flooded last year with irene. to add insult to injury, west virginia, maryland, pennsylvania and parts of west virginia could get 50 inches of snow with this. add all these ingredients together, that means power outages, some which will last for weeks. pennsylvania, new york, west virginia, an 800-mile-wide damage path with this. on the 108th anniversary of the opening of the subway system in new york we hope in 48 hours, parts of it won't be under water. >> places are holding their breath tonight. jim, thanks.

as we come on the air they are beginning to feel the effects on north carolina's outer banks. weather channel meteorologist julie martin joins us now from nags head. how are things there? >> reporter: good evening, lester. things are definitely deteriorating in nags head. we are getting lashed with outer rain bands from sandy, even though it's still well offshore from the carolinas. just goes to show you the size and strength of this storm. the worst, however, is yet to come here in the outer banks. late tonight and overnight we are going to be dealing with tropical storm conditions, high winds, coastal flooding. possibly even power outages. most of the residents here have been through nor'easters, hurricanes and tropical systems many times. they have decided to ride it out. one man here told me a long time resident that he's not sure about this strange storm named sandy. he's not letting his guard down just yet. probably shouldn't do so. it's already been full of

meteorological surprises for us, that's for sure. this is really just a taste of what's to come in the northeast and possibly worse. lester? >> julie martin along north carolina's outer banks tonight. julie, thanks. tonight, millions of americans are heeding the warnings which are becoming increasingly dire as the storm approaches. long lines at stores up and down the coast, west to ohio. ron allen has that end of the story for us from point pleasant beach, new jersey, tonight. kbeeng to you. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the ocean is a hundred yards in that direction which is pretty close to the town over here, the businesses, boardwalk and the homes. that's why there will be a mandatory evacuation tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m. today was the day to scramble around to be prepared. there is every indication that further inland most people are heeding the warning that the storm could be something extraordinary. they are used to taking on

mother nature along the jersey shore where they rolled out the heavy equipment, trying to protect towns from the sea in what forecasters say could be storm surges up to eight feet high. >> because it's so unpredictable, i think we don't know what's going to happen. we are just going to prepare for the worst. >> reporter: the problem is it is just 300 to 400 yards wide at the narrowest point. so they are boarding up and cleaning up everything that's not nailed or tied down. >> i don't think the house will be washed away. i think the front yard will probably be gone. >> i don't want to take a chance. >> reporter: getting prepared from north carolina up to new england for a storm expected to be bigger and last longer than irene which ripped through the same densely populated corridor last year causing billions in damage and leaving millions without power. today it took a long time to get gas in connecticut and find supplies at the supermarket as governors urged residents to take this storm seriously. >> let me just be real clear on

this at the end. we should not under estimate the impact of this storm. we should not assume the predictions will be wrong. >> folks, this could be bad -- really bad. >> reporter: at the naval station in norfolk, virginia, it was all hands on deck. for now the ships are staying in port. at this marina in new jersey, started taking boats out of the water at the crack of dawn. >> just getting as many as we can. don't want to turn any down and leave them in the water. >> reporter: meanwhile, everyone watch it is forecast. in new york city, as early as tomorrow morning officials will decide whether to shut down the subways, tunnels and bridges. near philadelphia, concern about six oil refineries, 7% of the nation's capacity. in atlantic city, the casinos will be shut down tomorrow and the list of cities and towns calling for evacuations will likely grow. but some still plan to stay. >> we have been able to get through all of the storms without any problem.

we just anticipate that we'll be able to do the same thing now. >> reporter: to give you an idea of the scale of things, if the storm turns out to be as bad as predicted, the ocean, the water here along this entire beach, mile after mile in each direction and six blocks in that direction will be several feet deep. lester? >> ron allen on the jersey shore for us this evening. thank you. this storm is already having an effect on the obama and romney campaigns. just ten days until the election. it could have a big effect on early voting in several swing states and already both campaigns have cancelled or rescheduled events to get out of the way of the storm. we've got both campaigns covered. we want to begin with kristen welker traveling with the president in new hampshire. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. president obama is facing a big challenge. he's got to juggle campaigning in the final days with managing a potentially devastating storm. now this hurricane has already impacted his schedule to some

extent. he was able to make a stop here in new hampshire. this is a small state that carries a lot of significance. president obama trying to get ahead of hurricane sandy which could diminish his campaign schedule this week. today he visited new hampshire, a state with only four electoral votes, but with the race deadlocked, the president can't afford to leave anything to chance. >> ten days, new hampshire! ten days. >> reporter: the president didn't mention the hurricane in his remarks. above air force one today he held a conference call with top homeland security advisers who briefed him on storm preparation. hurricane sandy has affected voting in north carolina and could impact the obama campaign strategy of encouraging core supporters to cast ballots before election day. today in new hampshire the president tried to win over the state's undecided voters, arguing mitt romney made empty promises to keep taxes low for middle class americans, accusing

him of raising fees as governor of neighboring massachusetts. >> when he's asked about it he said these weren't taxes. these were fees. keep in mind there were higher fees to be a barber, higher fees to become a nurse. >> reporter: the romney campaign fired back calling the president's accusations desperate. meanwhile, mr. obama continues to field questions about his administration's response to the attack on the u.s. consulate on benghazi including with msnbc's "morning joe" co-hosts joe scarborough and mika brsysnski. >> i'm responsible and i don't shy away with from that. >> reporter: traveling with the president, kristen well ke, nbc news. this is peter alexander in

florida where mitt romney is trying to pump up the vote. vowing he would be a bipartisan leader mr. romney laid into the president. >> he promised that his would be a post partisan presidency. we have watched him over the last four years and he's been divisive and demonized any group that opposed him. >> reporter: marco rubio attacked president obama's proposals with his sharp partisan rebuke. >> they are the ideas of countries that people come here to get away from. >> reporter: mitt romney will stop first in the heavily republican panhandle. then in a democratic leaning county trying to slice into the president's lead before closing the day near tampa, a battleground within this swing state. meanwhile not wanting to risk appearing to put politics before public safety. >> i was looking forward to being in virginia, but you know the hurricane is headed up there. i just spoke with governor mcdonald. the governor and i talked about that. he said, you know, the first responders really need to focus

on preparation for the storms. >> reporter: the romney campaign said it rescheduled sunday stops in virginia where hurricane sandy is taking aim. >> as ohio goes, so goes america. >> reporter: the republican nominee will join paul ryan tomorrow on the second day of his bus tour through ohio. >> you know it's you. you know what you have in front of you. you know the responsibility. >> reporter: trying to look like it's in the driver's seat the romney campaign launched a fundraising effort to compete in two states the president considers his -- pennsylvania and minnesota. >> peter, i want to bring in kristen as well and get a sense where things are going now. let me start with you, kristen. ten days to go and you said the race is deadlocked. what's the obama strategy down the stretch? >> reporter: well, lester, president obama is focusing his closing argument on the issue of trust. he's trying to make the case that mitt romney can't be

trusted because he said he's moved to the middle on key issues like taxes, foreign policy and education. the president arguing that he's still the best candidate to get the economy back on track. he continues to enlist former president bill clinton to help. the two will campaign together in florida on monday. the one thing looming over the closing argument, the october jobs report. it comes out the friday before voters head to the polls. lester? >> peter, a candidate can't be in many places at one time. what's the plan for romney with ten days? where will his focus be? >> reporter: it's a good question. mitt romney will focus on an optimistic jobs oriented theme for the last ten days. they are trying to make a contrast between the two candidates. referring to his own candidacy as one of big change and the president is one of status quo. that word "big" we heard 24 times from romney today. we are likely to hear it again several times tonight. lester? >> peter and kristen on the

campaign trail for us tonight, thank you. now through election day you can watch every presidential campaign event streaming live online at nbc news.com. there is other news to tell you about. authorities in michigan launched a manhunt to catch a possible serial shooter. at least 24 drivers have been shot along i-96 in the last two weeks. the latest happening today. two cars were shot at. one man was hit while driving to the world series. the bullet came through the driver's side door. authorities say he's expected to be okay. overseas to the crisis in syria where a muslim holiday cease-fire deal appears to be over after just a day. government forces launched air strikes around damascus today, flattening buildings. rebel forces responded with bomb blasts of their own. at least 16 people died in back and forth attacks. a lot more to tell you about on this saturday night as we continue on "nightly news." what did they know and when did they know it?

a new twist in the deadly meningitis outbreak. later, lady liberty like we haven't seen her before. l if we took the nissan altima and reimagined nearly everything in it? gave it greater horsepower and best in class 38 mpg highway... advanced headlights... and zero gravity seats? yeah, that would be cool. ♪ introducing the completely reimagined nissan altima. it's our most innovative altima ever. nissan. innovation that excites. ♪ tomato, obviously. haha. there's more than that though, there's a kick to it. wahlalalalallala! smooth, but crisp. it's kind of like drinking a food that's a drink, or a drink that's a food, woooooh! [ male announcer ] taste it and describe the indescribable. could've had a v8. perfect golden color. rich in fiber. my dad taught me, and i taught my son out there.

morning, pa. wait... who's driving the...? ♪ 99 bushels of wheat on the farm, 99 bushels of wheat ♪ [ male announcer ] yep, there's 8 layers of whole grain fiber in those mini-wheats® biscuits... to help keep you full... ♪ 45 bushels of wheat ...all morning long. there's a big breakfast... [ mini ] yee haw! ...in those fun little biscuits. and i was told to call my next of kin. at 33 years old, i was having a heart attack. now i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i didn't know this could happen so young. take control, talk to your doctor. if you're a man with low testosterone, you should know that axiron is here. the only underarm treatment for low t. that's right, the one you apply to the underarm. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes

in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these signs and symptoms to your doctor if they occur. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. do not use if you have prostate or breast cancer. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet, or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. see your doctor, and for a 30-day free trial, go to axiron.com.

we're back now with an update on the deadly outbreak of viral meningitis tied to tainted steroid injections. the cdc said today 25 people have died. the number of cases up to 344 in 18 states. there are disturbing new findings involving the massachusetts pharmacy that made the drugs. the latest from nbc senior investigative correspondent lisa myers. >> reporter: george kerry's wife lillian died of meningitis after she and her husband received injections of tainted steroids for back pain. >> it's a tragedy that my wife and i and the thousands of other people have been exposed to this contaminated medication. >> reporter: now his family says george is in the hospital with

meningitis, though it's not yet confirmed that tainted steroids are the cause. >> this is a large and ongoing catastrophe. >> reporter: one leading expert predicts there will be many more victims. >> i think we are in the middle of the meningitis outbreak. and the end is not yet in sight. >> reporter: the fda revealed friday that federal inspectors who investigated the new england compounding facility found greenish black foreign matter and white filamentous material and supposedly sterile vials and residue in clean rooms or those used to mix medicines. the fda said the pharmacy's sampling repeatedly found bacteria and mold in supposedly sterile rooms between january and september 2012. yet no documented corrective actions were taken. an nacc spokesman said we will review this report and will continue our cooperation with the fda. >> the fact that this has been

occurring, it seems like under the noses of the federal and state regulators is shocking. >> reporter: massachusetts regulators are under fire for rejecting a staff recommendation six years ago to reprimand the company and put it on probation after necc claimed that could put it out of business. the company was allowed to simply agree to change procedures. state officials say they are now reviewing the decision. the fda said its authority is limited but it is committed to strengthen the system to prevent future tragedies. lisa myers, nbc news, washington. >> more bad news tonight for lance armstrong days after being stripped of seven tour de france titles for doping armstrong is being asked to return nearly $4 million in prize money for those victories from 1999 through 2005. the international cycling union said it won't award those titles to the second place finishers due to the cloud of suspicion

hanging over the sport in those years. up next here tonight at 126 she's looking better than ever. but let's say she's had a little work done. day. i told him, sure. can't hurt, right? then i heard this news about a multivitamin study looking at long-term health benefits for men over 50. the one they used in that study... centrum silver. that's what i take. my doctor! he knows his stuff. [ male announcer ] centrum. the most recommended. most preferred. most studied. centrum, always your most complete. military families face, we understand. at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad! dad! [ applause ] ♪

[ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help. ther e's the sign to the bullpen. here he comes. you wouldn't want your doctor doing your job, the pitch! whoa! so why are you doing his? only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious like acid reflux disease. over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. for many, prescription nexium not only provides 24-hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acid-related erosions in the lining of your esophagus. talk to your doctor about the risk for osteoporosis-related bone fractures and low magnesium levels with long-term use of nexium. possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. other serious stomach conditions may still exist. let your doctor do his job. and you do yours. ask if nexium is right for you. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. c'mon, michael! get in the game! [ male announcer ] don't have the hops for hoops with your buddies?

lost your appetite for romance? and your mood is on its way down. you might not just be getting older. you might have a treatable condition called low testosterone or low t. millions of men, forty-five or older, may have low t. so talk to your doctor about low t. hey, michael! [ male announcer ] and step out of the shadows. hi! how are you? [ male annncer ] learn more at isitlowt.com. [ laughs ] hey! she may have to share the spotlight with hurricane sandy, but the statue of liberty is set to re-open tomorrow on her 126th birthday after a $30 million renovation. nbc's michelle franzen got a preview today. >> reporter: for much of the past year this is how lady liberty appeared. construction teams revamping the pedestal and parts of her interior, all to give visitors better access to the crown. for rachel ingram it's the view from outside that takes her breath away. >> it's the symbolism, what it

represents to america and what it means to all of us. >> reporter: during the year-long renovation, the grounds were open to the public. now people will have a chance to get a new and improved look from the inside of this historic landmark. the way people make the journey to the top has dramatically changed. out of date staircases and the glass enclosed elevator shaft have been upgraded. >> we have fire separated staircases, a fire separated elevator shaft. we have for the first time ever a lift that will take handicapped folks from the end of the elevator up to the observation deck. >> whoo! >> reporter: visitors will still have to climb from the base of the observation deck to the top to take in the stunning views. a trek duane harris remembers when he was a boy. >> it was a very narrow passage. took a while to get up there. so my dad and i did attempt and were successful. once we got up there we were able to see throughout the hudson river and parts of new

york. >> reporter: now he plans to bring his kids back to do the same. >> it would be cool going up there. >> reporter: the passing of the torch from one generation to another. and with her latest nips and tucks, lady liberty will stand tall for years to come. michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. when we come back here, time quickly running out to prepare. the latest on hurricane sandy. iy with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta.

taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbaa.lt dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age. it has more of 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+. [ male announcer ] it's time for medicare open enrollment. are you ready?

time to compare plans and see what's new. you don't have to make changes, but it's good to look. maybe you can find better coverage, save money, or both. and check out the preventive benefits you get after the health care law. ♪ medicare open enrollment. now's the time. visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-medicare. ♪ we're back now with a final check on the path of the massive storm as it takes aim at the east coast. hurricane specialist bryan norcross joins us from the weather channel headquarters. good evening. >> good evening, lester. yes, this is an absolutely unique storm, but it is taking an unprecedented path. let me show you the storm. i want to show you what is so special about it. it's a combination of a hurricane right here in the center, and a nor'easter that's this big here. it's one storm embedded inside the other. it's going to move to the north

and then turn inland. we have never seen a path like that. there is nothing like that in our record book for a storm coming from the south. now here are the damaging winds. this is where tree branches come down and we start to have problems and driving around becomes a problem. here we are tomorrow morning about 9:00 affecting cape hatteras and the tide water area at that time. the strongest winds are staying offshore. here we come to the north, monday morning early. notice at this point the strongest winds are now beginning to affect the big cities of the northeast and moving into new england. so we would not recommend driving around beginning early monday morning. and then moving through the day on monday, the strongest winds come in, pushing the seawater against long island, against the jersey shore, and in towards new york city. a lot more to talk about and look at tomorrow. back to you, lester. >> bryan norcross, thank you. that's "nbc nightly news" for this saturday. tomorrow we'll be coming to you from virginia as we track hurricane sandy and look at the

storm's potential impact on a state that's playing a critical role in the presidential election. that's tomorrow morning on "today" and of course tomorrow evening as well. for now, i'm lester holt reporting tonight from washington. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching and good night.